Restaurant Review: Yardbird (Hong Kong)

Yardbird is one of those must-go restaurants in HK. To be honest, the food ain’t michelin awesome but it’s really about the vibe, the service, and the promise of a chill night. As with most fashionable restaurants, Yardbird does not take reservations and the wait list could be from an hour to two. The trick is go really early or to go get your name on the list for a dinner an hour later. A sister to another of my favourite restaurants, Ronin (a speakeasy whiskey bar/restaurant), Yardbird is good fun and a great place for visitors looking for a NYC groove.

Serving mainly yakitori, they manage to cook almost all parts of a chicken it seems. The oyster sells out quickly so remember to reserve it if you are waitlisted. For those of you as clueless as I was, “oyster” in this instance does not refer to the afrodisiac we are all so familiar with but rather a part of the chicken just above the bum. It’s supposed to be one of the best parts. I don’t mind the oyster but I think for me, my favourites have to be the neck, the thighs and inner thighs as they are tender and juicy.

This is my favourite dish at Yardbird – the sweetcorn tempura. I love how they fried it with a very light batter and a dash of salt which makes the entire dish come together nicely. I will say it is one of those which is a hit or miss for some, though a hit more often than not.

A signature dish at Yardbird, is the KFC cauliflower. It kinda feels a tad korean I must say, the spice and the strong flavour of the batter surrounding a simple cauliflower. I don’t care too much for the sesame seeds I will admit. The staff will always tell u that the lime makes a huge difference but personally, I prefer it without.

Speaking of the staff, the ones upstairs are very upbeat and extremely personable, attentive and with an excellent memory; it makes the Yardbird experience. I almost always get good service here except one time when I was seated downstairs and the staff barely caught my eye and got my orders wrong and forgot a thing or two. That night was a disappointment. Otherwise, Yardbird always scores when I bring visitors and is great for a random weekday night.

Yardbird

33 Bridges St, Hong Kong
+852 2547 9273